历代志下

Meditative Reflection
The Sacrifice of Praise

“When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and when they pray toward this place and give praise to your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them….” (2 Chr. 6:26)

When we come across adversity and especially some serious setback in our lives, as much as we think we are very strong in faith and do love the Lord, it is really hard to come before the Lord and sincerely “give praise” to Him. But to be able to do so is very important to our relationship with the Lord, because

- giving praise in the midst of trials is the best expression of submission, in not just accepting our lot grudgingly, but in expressing our trust in God’s intention for us — having “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jer. 29:11); and that all things do work for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28); and

- the example of Job also reminds us that by giving praise even as we suffer losses (Job 1:21) is a clear demonstration to Satan, to God and ourselves that our faith is one of “dis-interested” faith—that is one that does not depend on blessings but rests solely on who God is. As Paul puts it, He is the God “who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20).

Meditative Reflection
The Breadth of Solomon

“Do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name.” (2 Chr. 6:33)

I am not only impressed with Solomon’s “breadth of understanding” (1 Ki. 4:29), but also the breadth of his intercession.

In his dedication prayer, I do expect to hear his adoration and thanksgiving, and I also expect to hear his intercession for his people, but I am particularly impressed with

- His heart for future generations as seen in all his prayers including his prayers for the administration of social justice among his people (6:22-23): He knew God had given him wisdom to do just that, but he was praying for succeeding generations that in spite of his absence, God would continue to do so as people brought their cases before the priests. He was not just satisfied with what happened in his time, but during future generations. How different he was from Hezekiah! (Isa. 39:8);

- He knew that God is not just the God of Israel, but of the world; and he also understood the true meaning of the Abrahamic Covenant in that this temple was meant to be a blessing to all nations (Gen. 22:18) and that this was meant to be a house of prayer for all nations as well (Isa. 56:7; Mk. 11:17); and

- He knew human depravity: All seven specific requests were based on his deep understanding of human depravity—for there is no one who does not sin (6:36). He fully expected his future generations to sin, to the point that there would be drought, natural disasters, defeats and even exile. It was with this understanding that he knew the importance of having committed to God to bear His name and reveal His presence through the building of the temple so that the people might learn to repent and the Lord would remain their God, and they His “inheritance”—the ultimate purpose of Exodus.

Meditative Reflection
Every Knee Shall Bow!

“When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the Lord above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying, ‘He is good; His love endures forever’.” (2 Chr. 7:3)

The death of David had to be a very unsettling time for the nation of Israel. He was the king after God’s own heart (1 Sam. 13:14; Acts 13:22), and it was under him that the nation of Israel established, for the first time, unprecedented military supremacy over the surrounding nations (1 Chr. 14:17). Spiritually, especially in the absence of a powerful prophetic figure like Samuel, the people looked upon David as not just a king, but also as a spiritual leader—a true servant of the Lord.

With his passing away and the anointing of a much younger monarch in Solomon (1 Chr. 29:1), the people had to wonder if Solomon could continue to lead the nation as powerfully as David did, and more importantly, would God continue to be with them. These questions were quickly answered by God in no uncertain terms.

As Solomon eventually came around to build God’s temple in the 4^th year of his reign (1 Ki. 6:1) and brought the Ark of Covenant back to the temple he built for the Lord, the Lord immediately filled the temple with His glory to the point that “the priests could not perform their service” (5:14). As if that was not enough to show His delight with Solomon, He sent fire from heaven and “consumed the burnt offering and sacrifices” right after the great prayer of Solomon (7:1-2).

While the glory of the Lord did fill the Tabernacle at its dedication (Exod. 40:34), the consuming of sacrifices with fire from heaven could only remind the people of God’s covenant with Abraham (Gen. 15:17) — what a powerful affirmation of His covenant with Abraham and with David.

The result was just as powerful because, “When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the LORD above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped” (7:3). This reminds us of the day when Jesus shall return again and reign over all the earth, and then “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:10-11).

What a glorious hope we have in Christ Jesus!

Meditative Reflection
God Answers Prayers

“I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices.” (2 Chr. 7:12)

As much as Solomon spent seven years in building the temple of the Lord and thirteen years in building his own palace complex, I do not believe that it was a reflection of his heart in that he cared more about his own palace than the temple.

The fact that the Bible mentions the two projects as being carried out one after the other and that they took a total of twenty years (2 Chr. 8:1; 1 Ki. 9:10) means that they were not carried out simultaneously. Rather, it was only upon the completion of the temple that Solomon began the work on his palace. This shows his priority and where his heart was. It shows that he put God first in his heart, at least during that period of his reign.

Furthermore, it was at the completion of both projects that God chose to appear to Solomon a second time (7:11-12). This shows that God was still very pleased with Solomon.

Apart from the fact that God was really pleased with Solomon, His second appearance (which God was really not obliged to make) was important because:

- He wanted Solomon to know that his prayers have been answered: You see, if we carefully read the seven requests he made at the dedication ceremony (6:22-39), they were all intercessions for future generations. While he interceded by faith, the Lord was eager to let him know that He has indeed heard all his prayers. That’s how good our God is; He is eager to let us know that He hears and He answers prayers.

- He also wanted Solomon to know that He is a faithful God who keeps the promise that He has made to his father David in that, he “shall never fail to have a successor to rule over Israel” (7:18).

- However, in God’s foreknowledge, He knew the weakness of Solomon, and for that matter that of all his descendants, and so with this special appearance and words of encouragement, He hoped that Solomon would cherish the privilege of God “consecrating” the temple and His promise that His “eyes and heart will always be there”, and that Solomon would walk before Him faithfully as David did (7:16-17).

Indeed, as depicted by the incense in the temple of the Lord, our prayers always reach all the way up to Heaven. God hears and He answers prayers and He is our faithful God; we can count on it. At the same time, we have to be conscious not only of our own desire to have our prayers answered, but of God’s desire in our lives — to walk before Him faithfully (7:17). Our love relationship with God is always a two-way street!

Meditative Reflection
Keeping Busy is not Necessarily a Bad Thing!

“At the end of twenty years, during which Solomon built the temple of the Lord and his own palace...” (2 Chr. 8:1)

Both 2 Chronicles 8:1 and 1 Kings 9:10 point out that Solomon used 20 years in total to construct the temple and his palace complex. Twenty years is a long time, especially when one considers that Solomon reigned only for 40 years (9:30). In other words, he spent half of his reign on these two major projects.

By Solomon’s own admission in Ecclesiastes, he did not just commission such great projects, he basically used his wisdom and engaged himself in these projects, consuming his time and his energy to see to their completion (Eccl. 2:4ff). To say that in the first twenty years of his reign, these two main projects (perhaps including other smaller ones) occupied a good part of his time would not be an exaggeration.

It was only after the completion of these projects did we read of his falling into sins (which we shall reflect upon later in the week)—being obsessed with women, having 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Ki. 11:3).

Of course, one should not depend on work, almost like a workaholic, to avoid moral failure, but the fact remains, having too much time in one’s hand is always harmful to one’s soul, and I am thinking of the potential harm of summer vacation to students and the retirement years to the senior.

Meditative Reflection
The True Fame of Solomon

“When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s fame (and his relationship with the Lord [1 Kings 10:1]), she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions.” (2 Chr. 9:1)

The story of the visit by the Queen of Sheba is legendary, but certainly not a legend, but factual history as recorded in both 2 Chronicles and 1 Kings. In this biblical account, the purpose is not just to show the success and fame of Solomon, but rather, through the mouth of the Queen of Sheba, it points out the source of Solomon’s success and its purpose. Such emphases are made plain by the following verses:

- In 1 Kings 10:1, the Bible points out that the queen of Sheba did not just hear of the fame of Solomon, but also of “his relationship to the Lord”. In other words, Solomon had not been shy to attribute all his successes to the Lord in public, to the point that foreigners like the Queen of Sheba were attracted to seek out who that God of Israel is.

- 2 Chronicles 9:7 points out that the happiness of Solomon’s people and officials was based on the privilege of continually hearing the words of wisdom from Solomon. This verse follows the preceding verses 5-6 in which the wisdom, wealth and achievements of Solomon were praised, and yet, the queen only mentioned wisdom as the basis of their happiness. The spiritual implication is very clear in that while wealth and achievement may be blessings from God, they are not the source of happiness, only wisdom is. As we know, true wisdom comes from the fear and the knowledge of the Lord (Proverbs 9:10) and that was what Solomon exemplified; and

- 2 Chronicles 9:9 shows that through this visit, she had come to understand not only that the source of Solomon’s success was from the Lord his God who had delighted in him and placed him on the throne; as a queen, she also understood that his successes which were a gift from God, had a much higher purpose and that was for Solomon to “maintain justice and righteousness”.

Although, many modern scholars dispute that Sheba is the modern-day Ethiopia, the fact that to these days, many Ethiopians are of Jewish origin and they worship the Lord, sides with the view of the famous historian Josephus of the 1^st century (Ant. viii, 6, 5). It is indeed not far-fetched to believe that the queen had indeed taken the belief of the Lord of Israel back to her home country.

Meditative Reflection
Solomon’s Splendor

“King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth.” (2 Chr. 9:22)

In describing the splendor of Solomon, the Bible employs language that has caused some scholars like G.H. Jones to doubt their authenticity and even call them “dubious”. Among other things they opine that the annual revenue of Solomon in gold amounted to 666 talents which is the equivalent of 25 tons or 56,000 lbs. That would be excessive, and to say that “King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth” was a gross exaggeration.

Well, based on today’s value, for a nation to have a reserve of US$48 million in gold is really not that excessive, and given that this history is from over 3,000 years ago, these scholars really do not have any solid evidence in world history to disprove its authenticity.

On the other hand, the Bible has given us proof of Solomon’s prosperity in citing example after example of his extravagant use of gold instead of silver “because silver was considered of little value in Solomon’s days” (9:20). Apart from the annual revenue of 25 tons of gold, the Bible cites 500 ornamental shields (big and small), royal goblets and royal household items all made of gold, not to mention the imposing ivory throne which was overlaid with fine gold (9:17-19).

Personally, I have no problem accepting these biblical accounts as true, because they are the very word of God, and they are recorded as historical narrative, and not in the form of poetry. One has to remember that the biblical author does not seek to glorify Solomon, but the Giver of all these splendors, the Lord.

We all know of the latter years of Solomon and the message becomes very clear: Few can handle excessive wealth and power without being morally corrupted by them — not even Solomon. In the course of using his wealth and power to seek all “the delights of the heart of man” and becoming “greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem” before him, he thought he could still retain his God-given wisdom in the process (Eccl. 2:8-9). The truth of the matter was: he didn’t.